This invention relates to wooden cases, particularly small cases constructed of solid wood, such as jewelry cases, but also including larger structures such as cabinets and coffins such structures constructed of composite, laminated and other man-made materials.
An enormous variety of wooden cases, boxes, coffins containers have been built throughout history for numerous purposes ranging from the most mundane storage and transportation tasks to the most sacred human activities, where such structures have been used in religious ceremonies. As a result, uncounted numbers of case configurations and constructions have been utilized in the fabrication of both cases that are built one at a time and production versions having parts manufactured in multiples.
Despite the substantial prior art in this field, continued development remains possible, particularly in light ongoing developments in machining equipment and techniques.
In a typical case having a generally square or rectangular structure and a hinged lid, the fundamental questions are these:
1. How do the sides join each other? PA1 2. What is the structure of the lid? PA1 3. How is the bottom attached? PA1 4. How does the top attach to lid sides, if there are lid sides? PA1 5. How is the lid hinged onto the case?
While numerous answers have been developed to all of these questions, difficulties continue to exist with respect to all of them. For instance, case sides are often constructed of solid wood with the grain of all sides running either parallel to or perpendicular to the bottom. In order to avoid visible end grain, such sides are often mitered at 45.degree. angles and then joined with through fasteners, a variety of types of splines, joints or simply with glue. It is frequently very difficult, however, to construct a case with such mitered side joints with tight joints that are square, particularly without the use of clamps and most particularly without extensive reliance on glue or adhesive. Attachment of case tops and bottoms presents additional problems when the objective is construction of an attractive case that may be assembled quickly and that does not display unsightly end grain when solid wood is employed. Another significant problem is differential wood movement with humidity changes with and across the grain. When a solid wood top or bottom is attached to solid wood sides, two-end-grain-to-long-grain joints result, regardless of whether the grain in the case sides is oriented vertically or horizontally.